In any event, Plan Colombia has reminded Brazil that its remote northern border region is wide open.

ECONOMIST: Colombia and its neighbours

The movement's main base is over the border in northern Iraq, where Iraqi Kurds run their own region.

BBC: Defiance in Turkey's Kurdish heartland

With some planning, an open mind and a willingness to problem solve, camping is a rewarding way to see this incredibly diverse region, which stretches from Mexico's wide northern border with the US to the skinny southern tip of Panama.

BBC: Camping through Mexico and Central America

Islamist rebels are believed to have retreated to the Ifoghas mountains - a desert area in the Kidal region near the border with Algeria - after being forced from northern population centres in recent weeks.

BBC: Mali conflict: 'Many die' in Ifoghas mountain battle